Barong and Rangda

Barong is probably the most well known dance in Bali. It acts as a story-telling, narrating the fight between good and evil. This dance is the classic example of Balinese way of acting out mythology, resulting in myth and history being blended into one attractive ‘show’.

The story goes with Rangda, the mother of Erlangga, the King of Bali in the tenth century, was condemned by Erlangga's father because she practiced black magic. After she became a widow she summoned all the evil spirits in the jungle, the leaks and the demons to come after Erlangga. A fight occurred, but she and her black magic troops were too strong that Erlangga had to ask for the help from Barong. Barong came with Erlangga's soldiers, and fights ensued. Rangda caste a spell that made Erlangga soldiers all wanted to kill themselves, pointing their poisoned keris (dagger) into their own stomachs and chests. Barong caste a spell that turned their body resistant to the sharp keris. At the end, Barong won, and Rangda ran away.

Although the dance tells a story about an olden time’s history, there are still chances that somebody could die or get seriously injured in today’s Barong dance performance. This deadly occurrence, however, might only take place when the Barong dance is performed for spiritual purposes – not the one acted out on a stage as an entertainment. It is said that a performer could get killed or badly hurt if the person’s condition is not ‘clean’ (such as after attending a cremation ceremony or any other occasions that involve deaths). There were also instances when the mantras used were too strong; thus hurting or even killing the ‘weak’ performers. In this case, the performers may end up hurting themselves with their own keris.

The masks of Barong and Rangda are also considered as sacred items. It is why before they are brought out, a priest must be present to offer blessings by sprinkling them with holy water taken from Mount Agung, and offerings must be presented. Indonesia Today

Fishermen of Jimbaran

Although Jimbaran has now turned into the home of a number of the finest luxury hotels in the world, its original color as a fishermen village still remains especially with the hectic activities of fishermen along the beach. Unlike many other coastal areas in the island that have totally turned from fishing villages into tourist spots crowded with umbrellas, hawkers and surfboards, Jimbaran exploits its natural potential as a fishermen village with the establishment of ranks of seafood restaurants serving the freshest fishes and other crustaceans.

Thanks to the fishermen in Jimbaran, the place is now known to be the heaven of the finest seafood (both raw and processed) in Bali. In doing their activities, the Balinese fishermen in the area use the same boat all over the island, which is a narrow outrigger – home made, easy to launch, easy to fix, cheap to make and very stable. These small boats don’t sail too far from shore and the proximity to resort hotels provides a handy market. The fresh captures are straightly delivered to the fish market (Kedonganan Market), which is also located on the beach, to later be bought not only by residents from Jimbaran and thereabouts (including Denpasar) but also a lot of the island’s finest restaurants.

The beautiful white-sandy beach on the northern edge of Jimbaran would be full with the colorful traditional boats, the fishermen and their nets as they moor after fishing in the morning and afternoon. Only one or two fishermen usually go to the sea, while many men will be on standby to help the fishermen dragging the boat onto the sand. The women will help with placing the fishes to the washbasin before taking them to the market.

In the night, both tourists and residents often flock to Jimbaran to enjoy the fresh seafood on the beachside restaurants. Indonesia Today

Lovely Lovina

Away from the busy Kuta December and about me and my friend went north towards Lovina by the upslope of the road in Bedugul, where the sun's heat gently Bali is covered by the fresh mountain breeze and the sun striking is quietly filtered through the mists that float above the surrounding hills to the lakes of the region. The hours spent on the road to provide breathtaking views and nature with many points of attraction where visitors can take a break to enjoy the scenery or just to rest and relax before continuing their journey.

 

We made our first stop at Lake Bratan, who that day was full of tourists attracted by the lake enjoying the entertainment available such as jet skiing, parasailing, boat trips and even fishing. We have seen how the tourists were excited by the smiles and glowing eyes on their faces while queue, waiting their turn to enjoy the fun to come. Flash lights of the cameras also take part in the agitation on the cloudy day in mid Bratan, when the tourists are turning their moments of happiness to last.

An hour in Bratan flew like a heartbeat when the thin layer of fog covering the lake was slowly washed out by light emerging from the sun. I did not miss the bright day, we hit the road and headed for the botanical garden near Bedugul, also known as Kebun Raya Eka Karya. The sun and cool breeze from the mountains of central Bali made the greens of the vast savannah, with tall trunks of the trees looked amazing. This weekend well known retirement was also full of people picnicking, enjoying the view from higher ground.

Several Hindu temples of Bali are also located in the garden area surrounded by thousands of types of plants and varied flora, including the complete collection of flowers used for supply are also grown.

Nightlife upper botanic garden, we headed to Lake Tamblingan located in the shelf area with the environment green hill. Tamblingan has the fascination of authenticity where nature is felt by the absence of boats. This lake is ideal for jungle trekking adventure because it is stunning with rainforest including flora and fauna observation. Many visitors also use the camping area or program of team building outdoors while enjoying the sight of local fishing residents who use their small traditional boats in the middle of beautiful nature.

Away to leave the lake Tamblingan we made a stop at the roadside to greet the friendly monkeys. Different monkeys stereotyped in many parts of the island, those of Bedugul are very quiet and little cute - especially when they put this pleading look on their faces so that tourists will buy peanuts.

After the monkeys and near Lovina, we stopped at Gitgit cascade. Gitgit is very popular especially because of its location not far from the main road. Signs on the roadside, with a warung (shop) and parking obvious, making it even easier for passersby to spot the attraction. Entrance to the waterfall is to step down to about 500 m through the paddy fields on one side and the other stores. When the line ends of the stores, which is about 100m before the waterfall, the sounds of singing of tropical insects and bugs accompanied by the roar of flowing water begin to occupy the stage. For a moment, walking on the path of moss in a forest setting, we felt like being in one of the Indiana Jones Adventures'.

Watch and listen to the water hitting the rock bottom made us feel so relaxed that we spent some time sitting on one of the big rocks in the middle of the river do nothing else. Drizzle with very soft water splashes touch our skin, we looked all refreshed.

Having enough "rest" on Gitgit, we continued down to our end of Lovina. Sharp drops and turns of the road could be dangerous, it is, therefore, a careful reader is strongly advised.

After about half an hour, we finally arrived in Singaraja. The regency of the north, which covers about 30% of the entire island of Bali, is a complete contrast to the bustle of south Bali: no traffic, no loud music clubs, no massive crowd. Faced with this situation, we were very sure that this part of the island is still waiting to be discovered, because it offers a multitude of activities and attractions that will keep you busy, even for a long stay.

Through small roads in Lovina Singaraja, we caught a glimpse of Bali as it is said by the first travelers to the island. We met with a rush of a traditional ceremony where the sounds of the gamelan music was filling and fly through the air. It was nothing for residents living in the region because it is an integral part of their daily lives, but for us it was surprising to hear that kind of melody is played on a stage. Small children running and playing on open ground still in their costumes ceremony and people walking on the roadside were arrested and all nodded in the direction of our car as we passed through their area. Only in a moment, we knew we were going to love the unique beauty of this region, home of Lovina Dolphin Bay, where its calm waters lap the shore of black sand.

The climate is very simple in this part of Bali. The mountains and volcanoes to the south to protect the northern part of the island of frequent rains, and contribute to a climate drier and less moisture. When it rains, it is usually in the afternoon or early evening for about 1-2 hours, it is rare for rain for a whole day. Therefore, it is certainly possible to visit Bali during the rainy season. In fact, many prefer the rainy season because of the lush vegetation and the intensity decreased from the sun.

Have enough excursion to the villages, we made our way to the most important monastery of Buddhism in Bali, Brahma Vihara Arama. This Buddhist temple has a spectacular view with golden Buddha statues in a natural environment. All visitors are free to participate in a meditation session. Since the monastery is obviously intended for the church service - not a tourist site - all visitors are strongly advised to behave well and pay full respect, especially because all the doors are open to the monastery everyone. Complex composed of five important Buddhist monastery that offers breathtaking views of the hills of Banjar village Tegeha it to integrate harmoniously with the peaceful environment.

To conclude our trip we went to Lovina Banjar hot spring located 10 minutes from the monastery. The hot spring has swimming pools with statues carved on the walls spew hot water in the pools of overhead. The hot soak in the midst of nature has been very refreshing especially after a long drive check places in this northern part of the island. A number of stores offering snacks, drinks and souvenirs are also available within the source of hot water. And if soaking in hot water is not enough, you can still enjoy a relaxing massage in a place that is located in the middle of the green hot spring area by a drawbridge.

Bali street food

Explore the uniqueness and typical street food in Bali, where you can find many delicious fares that are still fresh and have original taste. The way these delicacies are prepared and presented may not be as nice as those served in fine restaurants, yet the taste and quality of street food are not that bad. In fact, there are cases when several items of street food could go overtopping the ones in fine restaurants; let’s face it, not all ’nicer’ restaurants serve good food, both in taste and quality.

Of the many street foods offered in Bali, sate (satay) would be the most popular one. Sold on a street-sided cart, this food can be smelled even from a block away. Variations of meat pinned and barbecued on bamboo sticks include chicken, beef, pork and goat with peanut or soy sauces. Due to the thick smell and smoke produced during the barbecuing process, sate vendors can be easily spotted.

Another local food widely available and popular on the street sides is bakso (meatball soup). Bakso is usually served in a bowl, just like soup, with noodles, cabbage, tofu, celery cuts, fried charlotte and eggs. To spice it up, additional sauces like chili, tomato and soy are usually used.

For the appetizer, you can try the local fruit salad (rujak). Rujak consists a number of tropical fruits (such as kedondong, bangkuang, papaya, pineapple, mango and sweet potato) all sliced and mixed with a typical sauce that is made from brown sugar, chili and tamarind. Since the fruits used are not too ripe, the taste of rujak would be a bit sour.

It is easy to find the vendors of the street food: wherever there is a crowd, there would be street food vendors. A vendor with a lot of customers should be a good sign, indicating that the food served tastes good. Since almost all of the street foods are served when they are hot, the hygiene of these foods is also definite as hot food can eliminate germs and other microscopic bugs. However, since many street food vendors do not supply their customers with the facility to wash your hand (not even tissue), it is advisable that you bring along hand sanitizer or any other anti-bacterial wipes with you – just to play it safe. Indonesia Today

These monkeys talk

It was in the 17th century when an adopted son of the King of Mengwi received a heavenly message to build a temple on Sari Hill in Mengwi. His obedience towards God’s order has turned the once barren place with no plants at all into a green area surrounded and protected by trees.

It is said that all the greeneries were supernaturally teleported by God Ida Bhatara from His holy volcano, Mount Agung. However, that wasn’t the only magic occurring that day, for hundreds of monkeys were also ‘sent’ to the temple’s area to compliment the trees.

These monkeys immediately started occupying their positions as protectors inside and around the temple. Some faithful elders in this area claimed that they can verbally communicate with these monkeys – but only when they are praying and focused. Not only that, the elders also told that just anybody could also communicate with the monkeys. If we are in a highly-focused state, then it is said that we could hear the monkeys talk to us – and that we could talk back to them. Today, this area is called Sangeh; due to its abundance of trees and monkeys, Sangeh is also for many times referred as Monkey Forest.

Many Balinese people consider Sangeh as the real Monkey Forest in Bali – not to be confused with the famous one located in Ubud. Also, different from the ones in Ubud or Uluwatu, the monkeys in Sangeh are not aggressive. Thus, it is considerably safe to still wear your sunglasses or hat when visiting the area. Anyway, although the high-level of concentration required to talk with these monkeys is not certain, you can always give it a shot and see if this tale is true. Indonesia Today

Poppies Lanes never Die

Poppies Lane I and II in Kuta Bali are dedicated for those seeking fun and sun in all affordable ways. These two lanes are busy networks lined with bars and restaurants, basic accommodations and stalls selling fake sunglasses, surfwear and pirated DVDs. Yep, Poppies Lanes are all about rampant commerce and gang-side drunken nights. When walking on the lanes, you might need to prepare yourself for plenty of attentions from the shopkeepers.

Yet, aside from the somewhat chaotic state, Poppies Lanes still retain a slice of Balinese charms; the smell of incense wafts down the gangs and offerings of flower petals are laid out each morning to appease the gods. Poppies Lanes also stand out due to the strategic location, from which people could effortlessly access the legendary Kuta Beach from one end and the party street of Legian/Kuta on the other.

The thick ambiance of beach life adds more to the area’s popularity, especially with a number of surfers-dedicated bars. The laid-back Rastafarian lifestyle also gives another flavor to the night as some bars play the tunes of Mr. Marley in small gangs connecting Poppies Lane I and II. Some tourists testify that sipping the ice-cold Bintang beer would taste ten times better in Poppies Lanes.

Despite its highly celebrated name as a must-visit spot during a holiday in Bali, Poppies Lanes (and Kuta in general) actually represent the ‘absolute ugliness’ of the island. The fact that Poppies are developed as specific mass tourism enclaves (thus, generating income for the island) is still seen as something disappointing by many. The mix-bag tourism projects in the area in combination with the ridiculous commercialism are a big turn-off, especially for those who knew Bali in the good old days.

Ugly or not, the faces in Poppies Lanes are still friendly, the smiles are still warm and the atmosphere is still inviting. One thing worth noting down is probably the development in the rest of the area (which is not that very much left) needs to be more restrained. Indonesia Today